It is common to feel sick and/or vomit when pregnant and as many as 80 percent of all pregnant women are affected in some form. However, some suffer from extreme nausea and this, i.e. hyperemesis gravidarum, is precisely what we will go through in this article

Symptoms often begin between weeks four to seven of pregnancy and are usually most intense around week nine. The nausea usually subsides for the vast majority of people (around 90%) after pregnancy week 16-20. For about 10%, the nausea persists and can also come and go during the second half of the pregnancy.

Hyperemesis (hyperemesis gravidarum) is not regular nausea during pregnancy but a severe form of nausea and vomiting that begins early and affects 0.5-2% of all pregnant women. Hyperemesis affects your general condition, leads to weight loss, dehydration and changes in salt balance and your metabolism. About 3.6% of all people with hyperemesis need to be admitted to hospital for treatment and is the most common reason for hospitalisation in early pregnancy. It is common for people with hyperemesis to vomit many times a day, but the symptoms are highly individual.

The reason why someone suffers from hyperemesis is not fully understood yet, and is likely to be a mixture of several factors. Research shows that you are more likely to be affected if you have a mother, aunt, sister or grandmother who had hyperemesis. It is more common to suffer from hyperemesis if you are expecting more than one child, and therefore researchers believe there may be, among other things, a hormonal connection. Research also shows that you may have an increased risk if you otherwise suffer from motion sickness, migraines or nausea from hormonal-based contraceptives. The research thus shows a certain genetic cause of hyperemesis, but it is not yet known why it does not cause an illness in everyone. If you have had hyperemesis once, it is likely that you will also get it in any subsequent pregnancies.

If you are affected by severe hyperemesis, it can be extremely psychologically stressful, resulting in anxiety and depression. It is therefore important that you take advantage of the help and support available during your pregnancy. Tell your midwife if you are suffering from abnormal amounts of vomiting. You can then get help in the form of medicine for your nausea and dietary advice to optimise your nutritional intake – as well as advice on what might be easiest to eat if you are nauseous. You can also get counselling if you need it, either from your midwife or a psychologist/counsellor. If you vomit so much that your general health is affected, you should go to the emergency department. You can then get help with getting nutrition through a drip, and sometimes you may need to stay in the hospital until you get better.

So, hyperemesis is an extreme nausea and vomiting during pregnancy that affects your general health. Stand your ground and get help – it is important that you get the care and support you need.

You can get help through:

• Medication for nausea
• Dietary advice
• Counselling
• Support from your midwife
• Emergency medical care if your general health is affected

Start by addressing your symptoms at the antenatal clinic, and your midwife will help you with the next steps.